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Maryland about to become first U.S. state to ban neonicotinoids

Beekeeper Michelle Danoff says the use of neonicotinoids, known as neonics, are responsible for the slow but steady drop in bee colonies in Maryland and elsewhere, reports WAMU.org.

Danoff lives in Anne Arundel County, Maryland and she says neonics systematically kill off bees when they are overused on flowering plants. “It’s coming up through the plant. They’re getting it in their pollen. They’re taking it to their hive, and they’re feeding it to the new bees and eating it themselves,” Danoff says.

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Beekeepers like Danoff, along with academics and conservationists were instrumental in convincing the Maryland State legislature that the massive die-off of bees over the past four years are likely tied to the widespread use of pesticides linked to honeybee mortality rates, reports the Washington Post.

Both chambers of the legislature recently passed similar bills that would ban stores from selling pesticides laced with neonicotinoids to homeowners, who usually over-douse their trees and gardens with the products. The two bills (SB 198 and HB 211), are expected to be combined into one piece of legislation for Governor Larry Hogan (R) to sign within two weeks.

With Hogan’s signature, Maryland will become the first state to take the application of these dangerous pesticides out of the hands of everyday consumers. Farmers and professionals, who better know how to apply the pesticides, will be exempt from the law which goes into effect in 2018.

Danoff asks, “How many people actually read the fine print on pesticide labels?” She claims that the average person may not know of the dangers pesticides present, not only to the environment but to human health. “Most people just buy it and spray,” she says.

The bipartisan legislation will remove neonic-products such as Knockout Ready-to-Use Grub Killer, Ortho Bug B Gon, All-In-One Rose & Flower Care, Lesco Bandit Insecticide and others from the shelves of thousands of garden centers, hardware stores, nurseries and other retailers who normally carry neonic-products for home and garden use, says EcoWatch.

Maryland honeybees will end up breathing a big sigh of relief when the legislation goes into effect. Compared to the national average of 42.1 percent, Maryland’s beekeepers lost more than 60 percent of their colonies in 2015, with each hive representing about 20,000 bees.

However, opponents like Senator Adelaide Eckardt (R-Eastern Shore) are fearful that a ban on neonics could lead to the use of other products that are harmful when overused. “I’m always concerned about presenting to the public a false sense of assurance. If we go ahead and ban this, who’s to say people aren’t going to overuse Seven and Raid and all the other products that are out there?” Eckardt says.

Think Progress is saying that no piece of legislation banning the use of neonics has ever made it this far at the state level. California, Alaska, New York, and Massachusetts have tried to ban or limit neonicotinoids, and Oregon banned the use of them on Linden trees, while Eugene, Oregon and Seattle both have banned their use on city-owned land.

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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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